As a father, as some of you may relate, I always wanted my daughter to have all of the best opportunities. Career exploration was no different. Exposure and exploration into multiple career pathways was always one of my goals for her while she attended high school. Although I was unable to make this happen for her while she attended LHS, I was able to create this experience for my son. This desire was one of my personal motivations in building the Geometry in Construction program.
Additionally, one of the most frequently asked questions is how were we able to recruit and retain such a high number of girls to enroll in our construction program. When we started this class 6 years ago, our goal was to have an annual female enrollment of 25 percent. Since the first year of the program we have broken this milestone annually and are proud to boast we have gotten this number up as high as 48 percent young ladies enrolled in the program. Also, we realized that if we wanted a program for ALL STUDENTS, then we could not ignore half of our school’s enrollment.
Here are a few of the things that we used to accomplish this goal.
1. Partnering with a core academic is a must. This allows us to get a core group of females in the course (22% or 16 ladies in year 1) by making it “okay” to take construction since it is tied to geometry. Remember that Geometry in Construction draws on numerous career paths such as being an architect, engineer, plumber, electrician, construction manager, surveyor, interior design etc. There are many ladies that have interest in one of these careers.
2. We acknowledge the differences in the sexes in class. We talk about how the guys are generally better at framing because of the strength. The ladies are generally better at plumbing and finish carpentry. The building of the house needs both groups of talent. It is at this time that we as teachers discuss the no tolerance of harassment/making fun of/name calling of anyone. It is important that we have follow through when harassment rears its ugly head. We strive to make the class a safe place.
3. The choice of tools that we use is not an accident. We want each and every student to experience success when they first start in the shop. First, we promote the use of a palm nailer. This tool allows a student to drive a 16d nail successfully, safely, and without frustration. The second tool that we promote is the battery circular saw. It is a light weight tool that is manageable compared to other heavier, electric circular saws. It is important to note that we start with these tools and as the year progresses; we do reduce the use of the palm nailer and increase the use of other power circular saws.
4. We invite guest speakers into the class to talk with students about different construction related career choices. We strive to have 50% female speakers. We tap into various professional organizations, unions, etc. for these speakers. When we have a female speaker, we have them address how it feels to be in a male dominated career path. There are many interesting responses.
5. Recently, we have started a “Rosie the Riveter” club for the ladies in our program. This is lead by female leadership team students as well as a female teacher. Participants receive special t-shirts, luncheons, round table discussions, etc. This is an excellent opportunity to bring in successful young female professionals to talk with the ladies about all of the career possibilities.
6. We must educate the counselors each year. We do this by hosting a lunch in which we share state test scores and female student testimonies. In addition, we invite counselors on field trips and we educate them on the career opportunities in the construction field for females. Yes, we too have had counselors tell the girls “they should not take a construction class”. The only way to combat this is with continual education of the counseling staff.
Once we were successful with the first class, the first year young ladies did an amazing job of telling their friends about the class. Each year we make an effort to be sure the ladies have felt valued as a part of the team that builds the house. Their success in the class has made them the best recruiters of next year’s students.
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